Tuesday, May 01, 2007

We're All Here

This is the window in the study, the sunlight peeking through the Egyptian mashrabiya screen. This is the view out of the dining room (really the sewing room) window. The windows are more like doors - they open up completely. There is no screen and my husband is terrified that the cats will get out there and plummet to their doom.

A view down our narrow street. There is no place to pull over, so it's common for a driver to just stop, blocking the road. And then we get the honking. I can only imagine what a nightmare it was when our furniture was delivered.

Our big cats were delivered safely yesterday, healthy and relatively happy. I'm impressed with how quickly they've bounced back, although Howler has spend quite a bit of time going from room to room howling. Or maybe I should say meowing because it's not high volume. But it sure doesn't sound like a meow.

The little girls haven't been happy since their arrival. Pokey is hiding in the bedroom and Lily in the bathroom and they're both hissing at each other and the boys. Sigh. They'll be fine.

The loud floor noises are kind of freaking the cats out and it doesn't help that I was organizing and moving things around yesterday. Crashy bashy. Today the plan is to get out of the house and give them some quiet time.

Today, Tuesday, is a holiday. Labor Day. A lot of the local shops were closed yesterday, making a four-day holiday of it. We went to the Monoprix (a supermarket/department store, rather like Marks and Spencers) to buy groceries but left after seeing the lines that stretched to the back of the store. We went to Picard, which sells all manner of frozen food, and picked up some dinners there instead. At least this way we won't starve if everything is shut down today.

I know you would prefer to have the light streaming in through those gorgeous windows, but might it be safer for the cats to keep the shutters closed for the moment and the windows open. I can imagine the noise, but, after all, it is Paris! Did DH have one of those fantastic lifts/cranes that block the street off and deliver everything through the windows?

Be warned for the parades this time next week. Victoire Mai 1945 day. I love Monoprix's clothes. If I was thinner I'd get all my clothes there and to have a Picard within walking distance - you lucky thing! Ours is 45 minutes in the car. Wet and miz here today. How about there?

Great to hear you've all arrived in one piece - ah the joys of the French 'pont' 'that extra day they love to take to make a public holiday stretch into the weekend' - it will take you a little while to get used to things being closed for strange reasons - you were wise to stock up on frozen meals just in case. Clare is right May is spattered liberally with public holidays - it will take you until well into June to establish a reasonably sensible routine - bonne chance!

Love Monoprix (can you pick me up a few of my favorite lipsticks?)! Are you somewhere around the 7th (or 6th) arrondissement? Nice neighborhood and your apartment looks tres chic! Can't wait for more photos.

Oh you made it! Bonnie and I talked about you moving this weekend! Your screen from Egypt is awesome! I loved it before but love it even more in the light like that! See I told you Miss Lily should have stayed behind with me!! :)Hope your doing ok, I can't wait to catch up with you! I'm exhausted from Paducah! And way behind on work!

Yeah! All the kitties together again! Unless they're really rambunctious I haven't had trouble with cats falling off the veranda. (Ours has a big gap at the bottom.) That's not to say that one didn't but one cat did get his head stuck in a bag and went over. (He survived) Keep the bags away from the cats! That screen as absolutly gorgeous!!!!!

I'd be freaked at the doors too. I won't let the cats on the balconey because Pixel jumps on everything and I see him rolling right over the railing.

They will settle as they get used to the sounds. Poor babies. Couple of weeks and they should be good. Hey, Noodle does this weird throaty howling meow in the bathroom mirror at himself! Cats are too funny!

About Me

I live in Florida with my seven cats and my husband. I've been a quilter since 1987 and consider my style liberated and non-traditional traditional (think Gwen Marston, Gee's Bend, and string quilts) and I watch way too much tv while sewing and hand-quilting.